


Ink tainted tears

by shattering_petals



Series: When writers fall in love [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Jihoon and Mingyu are bookworms, Love Poems, M/M, Wonwoo is a emo writer, and some BTS members, and yes I know wonwoo is older, but for the sake of the plot let's just ignore that, hint of Namjin, hint of soonhoon, jungkook is wonwoo's uncle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-17 17:12:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14835791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shattering_petals/pseuds/shattering_petals
Summary: Mingyu fancies sad poetry by anonymous writer





	Ink tainted tears

**Author's Note:**

> Hello kind person. I am back with another poor excuse of a fanfic. English is not my first language so you might see some mistakes. Please let me know if you find any so i can fix it and as always I hope you'll enjoy

„Why do you like his poems so much? They are all so depressing.“ An very annoying voice interruptes Mingyu’s reading.

„They are beautiful. Not many modern authors write poems about death and sad topics. He’s actually very brave for going against the flow of positivity“ Mingyu explaines

„Brave my ass, he hasn’t even revealed his name. The only thing we know that he’s a man and his pseudonym is Ink N‘ Roses.“ Soonyoung said as he rolls his eyes.

„Jihoon likes it too though.“

„Whatever.“

Of course Soonyoung with his happy-go-lucky and optimistic personality wouldn’t understand. Actually most people don’t understand. This world’s society is almost obsessed with joy and happiness to the point where it ignores the fact that life doesn’t work that way. This is evident in modern literature – the poetry and books are filled with laughter and happy endings and rainbows and true love without a single hint of reality. Not that life is miserable and shitty all the time but it definitely isn‘t pretty all the time.

Mingyu was always a bookworm and loved reading more than anything but he really dislikes that type of writing. He calls it a tooth-rotting-candy-shop-word-mess. The authors are not bad- they are actually very good but they’re missing originality. He started looking for something different  and just when he was about to give up he found a little collection of poems. It was called _Wails of the Night_ by _Ink N‘ Roses._ It was quite short and the poems were full of despair, tears, pining, tragic love stories and regret. He absolutely loved it. He looked at the date to find out how old it is. It was new. It was scandalous. It was _perfect_.

He showed it to all people he knew in hopes that someone would like it as much as he does but the only response he’s ever recieved was „Why is it so sad?“. His colleague – Wonwoo reacted rather strangely. He opened the book, furrowed his eyebrows, said it’s alright and went outside for a short smoking break. Mingyu was confused but anything‘s better than that obnoxiuos question as feedback.

_Ding_

_A new message from Lee Jihoon_

_Dude, Ink ‘N Roses has created his own blog and posted a poem_

_you need to check it out I‘ ll send you the link_

_ www.darknessofinknroses.com/poems _

Lee Jihoon – fellow bookworm and Soonyoung’s then long time crush now boyfriend is probably the only human being that understands and shares his love for sad poetry. He still can’t comprehend the fact that someone as quiet and introverted as Jihoon ended up with Mingyu‘s loud and fun-loving  roommate Soonyoung. Love is indeed blind. And deaf apparently.

 Mingyu opens the link without any hesitation.

_CRY OF DESPAIR_

_Take me_

_I don’t want to be_

_Take me_

_I want to be free._

_My friend_

_in long black veil_

_do not pretend_

_my going shall be hailed_

_The kiss of death_

_is painfully sweet_

_my last breath_

_is losing it’s heat_

_Take me_

_soothe the agony in my chest_

_Take me_

_give me eternal rest_

As always his poem is dark and as always Mingyu loves it.

Jihoon and Mingyu decide to have a coffee together as an excuse to talk about the latest masterpiece.

„What do you think ‚my going shall be hailed‘ means?“ Jihoon asks

„ It’s probably reference to his haters. People who don’t like his work usually don’t pay attention to him but those who do criticize him harshly and say that he should stop writing.“ Mingyu says and frowns

„And the friend in black veil represents his loved ones that try to resure him he is loved and appreciated but he doesn’t belive them.“

„It’s a message, he doesn’t write dark stuff out of rebellion. Perhaps it’s his way of expressing himself or just his style. He wants to be accepted by society but it’s too focused on joy and he’s an outcast because he’s not an easy going party animal or social butterfly.“

„And take me means accept me. It’s a poem about his struggles disguised as poem about death.“ Jihoon finishes their theory

„Woah.“ Mingyu says, completely shocked. He and Jihoon just found out a something about the author. „I wish I could tell him that it’s okay to be different and that he doesn’t need to change himself to fit in. He just needs to find a group of friends that will take him for what he is. I wish I could tell him that he’s not alone….“

„Yeah. Me too. Unfortunately there’s no way to contact him directly since he‘s very careful about his privacy. The only feedback are critics.“

Little did they know that the author heard everything.

And he’s about to cry.

 

Another day at his not-so-fun work. He’s a librarian and he loves his job but you need to be extra quiet and don’t do anything that might disturb the readers and that can get boring pretty quickly. His colleague, Wonwoo isn’t that talkative either. Speak of the devil, Wonwoo clears his throat, not loud enough to disturb any of the customers but enough to get Mingyu’s attention.

„Hey“

„Hi“

„So, I am moving to a different part of town and the flat is smaller than my current one so I need to get rid of some things and I heard you’re a fan of Ink N‘ Roses. I happen to have something similar to his work and I don’t want to throw it out but I don’t think anyone except you would like it“ he says and hands Mingyu a book. Mingyu takes it and looks at the title. It’s called _The madness of love by Kim Namjoon_

„It’s a collection of melancholic poems mostly about tragic love stories. His work was heavily influenced by the death of his lover,  Kim Seokjin who succumbed to ilness.“ Wonwoo explains. When Mingyu doesn’t respond he starts to panic „ You don’t have to read it you know I’m not forcing  you, I just thought you might be interested-“

„It’s perfect. Thank you Wonwoo“ Mingyu says with a faint smile.

„You’re welcome. Just keep it safe, okay?“

„I will“

 

That night he decides to read at least a part of the book. One poem caught his attention

_ POET’S TEARS _

_Your love, so pure_

_was my broken heart’s cure_

_your scent, that resembled heaven_

_left my love in your possession._

_My selfish rosy lips_

_always craved your kiss_

_and your warm tears_

_I dried with our years._

_Now, that you left me_

_I will remain unfree._

_I am yours forever_

_and faithful as ever._

Wonwoo didn’t lie about it being full of tragic love stories. This one is most likely about his lover – Seokjin. He must have been the love of his life because Namjoon refuses to love anyone else and promises to stay faithful even though Seokjin died. Mingyu wonders if he’s ever going to find the love of his life as well. Probably not. Mingyu looks at the clock, it’s almost midnight. He should go to sleep and read the rest tomorrow.

 

The very next day Mingyu can’t help being curious.

„If you don’t mind me asking, where are you moving?“

„To a humble flat few streets away from here. It’s in much quieter neighbourhood.“ Wonwoo mumbles without looking away from the screen of his laptop.

„Have you finished moving?“

„No, not yet. I still have some boxes to unpack. Why?“

„I could help you you know. As a thanks for the book.“

„It’s a gift. You don’t need to repay me but I could use some help.“ he finally looked at Mingyu and smiled. Mingyu must admit that Wonwoo’s smile is handsome.

After work, they walk together towards Wonwoo’s home and on their way, they talk about literature and their favourite writers. When they arrive Mingyu is taken aback about how small the apartment is. Humble is certianly an understatement. The boxes make it look even smaller. They take their shoes and coats off and start unpacking.

They moved and unpacked 9 boxes in 3 hours. Maybe they would be quicker if they didn’t joke around and make each other laugh with lame stories.

„Man, I’m exhausted.“

„Yeah me too. I’d offer you something but unfortunately my fridge still doesn’t work and water smells funny.“

„Nah, it’s okay. It’s getting pretty late so I should head home.“ Mingyu says as he gets up to put on his shoes and coat.

„Thanks for the help.“

„No problem. See you on Monday.“ Wonwoo waves as a response and closes the door behind him. Mingyu never thought Wonwoo could be such a likeable and witty person since he is very reserved and quiet most of the time. He’s glad he found new side of Wonwoo nonetheless.

They slowly begin to spend more time together, finding common ground on poetry and art. Mingyu can feel their frienship blossom and he absolutely loves the feeling. His not-so-fun job is starting to get more interesting. He also introduced Wonwoo to Jihoon and Soonyung and few other friends. They get along pretty well.

Days and months pass and something else blooms inside Mingyu’s chest. He blames Wonwoo’s smile and that goddamn cologne he started to wear. He‘s never used it before and now he suddenly decided to drive Mingyu insane.

The poems of Ink N‘ Roses are now more complex and more focused on tragic love and pining. Of course, there are still some dark themes about death and such. He posts shorter ones on his blog to say „hey I’m alive and writing don’t worry pals“ or previews of his work.

One beautiful they he receives 2 roses with a little piece of folded paper attachted to it. Mingyu opens the paper and discovers 3 sentences written by hand. The handwriting is very nice and the letters are black as ink.

_ NINE ROSES _

_Your smooth deep voice_

_left my heart no choice_

When Mingyu closes the paper he learns the sender‘s name. _Ink N‘ Roses._ His favourite author. No way. That means the writer is close to him and is just hiding his identity or he’s a stalker. He really hopes it’s former. He shows it to his best friend and stupidly huge crush Wonwoo. He only laughs and says it’s no big deal and that Mingyu shouldn’t worry about it. Mingyu decides to believe him.

Two days later he recieves another 2 roses with a paper attached to it.

_I fell for your charm_

_I swear I’ll do you no harm_

_My feelings are honest_

_and my heart is modest_

Well, Mingyu is little calmer. He doesn’t seem like a obsessed stalker more like poetic secret admirer. That doesn’t mean he should let his guard down, he just doesn’t need to sleep with a baseball bat.

Another 2 days pass and another 2 roses lay at his doorstep

_How can I  continue to write,_

_when you make my life so bright?_

What does this mean? He can’t write dark and tragic stuff because Mingyu makes him happy? His mind is confused but he takes the roses anyway, and puts them in the vase with others. Six in total.

Only 1 day passes and he gets another 2 roses.

_Now there’s only one rose left_

_by cheesy rhymes I confessed_

_And with that one red rose_

_My heart shall be exposed_

Oh my god. Is he going to reveal himself? Is he going to give Mingyu the last rose in person? Mingyu suddenly feels nervous and panics. He can’t accept the writer’s confession because he’s already head over heels for Wonwoo. Mingyu tries to figure out the most gentle way of rejection and braces himself.

It’s 10 AM when the doorbell announces a visitor. Mingyu slowly approaches the door and grabs the knob. He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and opens the door. When he sees a familiar man holding a rose, his jaw falls. He can’t believe his eyes. Wonwoo is standing in front of him, holding the rose with a light smile. He’s wearing black jeans and white shirt and that goddamn cologne that drives Mingyu insane.

„Hey“

„Hi…“

„Can I come in?“

„Yeah“ Mingyu says and moves closer to the wall so Wonwoo can go through.

„I think I owe you an explanation“ Wonwoo admits

Hell yeah you do

„Let’s sit down first“

 

„I don’t think this was the best way of confessing my feelings since I most likely freaked you out buuuuut it’s too late to regret .“

„Yeah I was a bit taken aback but it’s very romantic. I like romantic things.“

„Oh. That’s great. You probably have a lot of question so instead of me ranting just ask everything and anything you want and I’ll answer.“

„Ok… Why did you suddenly start talking to me? You know, after you gave met that book“

„Oh that. I am very shy and reserved and I thought someone like you wouldn’t want anything to do with me but then I accidentally overheard your discussion about that poem Cry of despair and you understood it. You found the hidden meaning and related to it. I felt like i could talk to you comfortably so i gathered the tiny pieces of courage in me and gave you the book that inspired me and my work.“

„Speaking of the book, how did you get it?“

„My uncle Jeon Jungkook was Namjoon’s close friend. Namjoon wrote it and gave few copies to his dearest friends. I found it in his library and fell in love with it. When I asked my uncle if I can have it, he gave it to me saying just looking at it breaks his heart let alone reading it.“

„Why does it break his heart?“

„Everyone was very hurt by Seokjin’s death but Namjoon and my uncle took it the hardest.“

Oh right. Seokjin died. Mingyu feels stupid for asking that.

„Why do you call yourself Ink N‘ Roses?“

„Well, Guns N‘ Roses is one of my favourite bands and I read some kind of saying „Pen is stronger than sword“ but Pen N‘ Roses sounds lame so I just changed it to Ink N‘ Roses.“

„Did you send me all these roses and pieces of poem?“

„….Yes.“ Wonwoo confirmed as his cheeks turned pink

„Does that mean you like me?“

Wonwoo nods. „A lot..“ he suddenly finds the plain table very interesting. „I’ve liked you ever since i can remember“

Mingyu’s heart melts at the sight. Is there anything cuter than embarrassed Wonwoo?

„Is that why you’re wearing that cologne?“

„Well uuuh I… Soonyoung told me you’ll like it“

Soonyoung has just earned 3 kicks and 1 big hug from Mingyu.

„I like you too….. A lot.“ Mingyu confesses and Wonwoo raises head quickly and stares at Mingyu with wide eyes.

„R-really?“

„I didn’t mean to, but your cleverness and wit and handsome smile and that _goddamn_ cologne made it impossible not to fall for you.“ Mingyu mumbles the last part but Wonwoo heard everything and his cheeks and ears turned red.

„W-Would you like to be my boyfriend then?“

„Do I really have to answer that?“

„Yes you do“

„Alright. I’d love to date you.“

Wonwoo smiles brightly.

„Now what?“

„I dunno. I thought you’ll reject me. I even started looking for a new job.“

„You wrote this poem and sent me roses without knowing how I feel about you?“

„Yup. What can I say, I’m a hopeless romantic.“

„Let’s just go to the park or something.“

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Fun fact: I can only write depressing poems and all three you read are mine. I've written poetry ever since i was 12 but they're bad. Let me know what you think. I'll be very grateful for kudos.  
> Also I wrote Namjin spin-off and I would be glad if you'd give it a shot.  
> Please don't copy anything since i worked hard to write this.  
> Just a lil edit: I made a tumblr account born-to-die011 so if you have some questions or wanna talk or just looking for a friend don't hesitate to hit me up or follow since i plan to keep you guys updated there.


End file.
